12/04/2003
99 districts cited as not making Adequate Yearly Progress under NCLB
(HARTFORD,CONN.)—A total of 99 of the state’s 185 local, regional and statewide school districts and charter schools have been identified as not making adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the 2001-02 school year under the federal No Child Left Behind law (NCLB).
The identification includes 92 of the state’s 166 local and regional public school districts, two regional education service centers, three charter schools, the Regional Vocational Technical School District, and Unified School District #2 (DCF).
State Education Commissioner Dr. Betty J. Sternberg advised parents and community leaders to “look behind” the designation “not making Adequate Yearly Progress” because there are many reasons for identification ranging from test participation rates to the whole school district falling below mathematics and reading standards.
“Each district needs to look at what led to the designation, and determine what needs to improve, identify what has to be done to make that improvement and then carry out the plan,” said Commissioner Sternberg. “The job of the State Department of Education is to support each district in its efforts to improve student performance, so the designation isn’t repeated next year—and, most important, students are achieving more.”
The AYP identification is based on the district wide percentage of students scoring at proficient level in mathematics and reading on the 2002 CMT and in mathematics and reading on the 2002 CAPT as well as the district graduation rate, CMT writing scores and participation rates on the tests. The district AYP analysis is based on the same variables as for schools, which are aggregated at the district level. Student CMT and CAPT results are attributed to the school district in which the student was enrolled during 2001-2002.
For a district to make AYP, the AYP criteria must be met on both the CMT and CAPT by all students and by each subgroup at the district level. Subgroups include: Hispanic, black, and white students, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students and English language learners. Districts must meet 44 variables to attain the AYP standard (e.g. the district wide percentage of Hispanic students scoring at Proficient Level in reading on CMT, black student participation on CAPT mathematics test, percentage of students with disabilities scoring at Proficient Level in mathematics CMT, etc.)
Of the 99 identified:
- 27 were identified because the district did not meet the requirement of 95% participation on the CMT or CAPT.
- 43 were identified for subgroup performance in Math and Reading
- 3 were identified for subgroup Math achievement only
- 14 were identified for subgroup Reading achievement only
- 9 were identified for whole district Math and Reading, and
- 3 were identified for whole district Math or Reading.
There are no NCLB required consequences for not making AYP in the first year, other than the public identification of the district. If a district does not make AYP for two consecutive years, the district is identified as “in need of improvement” and must develop a district wide improvement plan.
Attached is a listing of the districts that did not make Adequate Yearly Progress for the 2001-2002 year and the reason for the designation.
Connecticut Public School Districts Not Making Adequate Yearly
Progress, by Category: 2001-02 School Year
As per No Child Left Behind Legislation andConnecticut's K-12 Accountability
Based on the fall 2002 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) results attributed to the school
attended in 2001-02 and spring 2002 Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) results
I. Whole district math and reading, academic achievement
Number of Districts: 9
- Bridgeport School District
- Hartford School District
- New Britain School District
- New Haven School District
- New London School District
- Windham School District
- Area Cooperative Educational Services
- Highville Mustard Seed Charter School District
- Unified School District #2
II. Whole district math academic achievement
Number of Districts: 2
- Bloomfield School District
- Waterbury School District
III. Whole district reading academic achievement
Number of Districts: 1
- Jumoke Academy District
IV. Subgroup math and reading, academic achievement
Number of Districts: 43
- Ansonia School District
- Berlin School District
- Bethel School District
- Branford School District
- Bristol School District
- Colchester School District
- Danbury School District
- Derby School District
- East Hartford School District
- East Haven School District
- Griswold School District
- Groton School District
- Hamden School District
- Killingly School District
- Manchester School District
- Mansfield School District
- Meriden School District
- Middletown School District
- Milford School District
- Naugatuck School District
- New Milford School District
- North Branford School District
- North Haven School District
- Norwalk School District
- Norwich School District
- Plainfield School District
- Plainville School District
- Plymouth School District
- Putnam School District
- Seymour School District
- Shelton School District
- Southington School District
- Stafford School District
- Stamford School District
- Stratford School District
- Torrington School District
- Vernon School District
- Wallingford School District
- Watertown School District
- West Hartford School District
- West Haven School District
- Windsor School District
- State Vocational-Technical Schools
V. Subgroup math academic achievement
Number of Districts: 3
- Trumbull School District
- Windsor Locks School District
- Capitol Region Education Council
VI. Subgroup reading academic achievement
Number of Districts: 14
- Brooklyn School District
- East Windsor School District
- Ellington School District
- Enfield School District
- Monroe School District
- New Fairfield School District
- Suffield School District
- Tolland School District
- Waterford School District
- Wethersfield School District
- Winchester School District
- Wolcott School District
- Regional School District 12
- District School Regional 14
VII. Participation only
Number of Districts: 27
- Brookfield School District
- Canterbury School District
- Cheshire School District
- Clinton School District
- Coventry School District
- Cromwell School District
- East Granby School District
- Fairfield School District
- Farmington School District
- Greenwich School District
- Guilford School District
- Ledyard School District
- Lisbon School District
- Montville School District
- Newington School District
- Newtown School District
- Rocky Hill School District
- Somers School District
- South Windsor School District
- Thomaston School District
- Westport School District
- Regional School District 01
- Regional School District 04
- Regional School District 05
- Regional School District 15
- Regional School District 19
- Trailblazers Academy District
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Dr. Betty J. Sternberg
Commissioner
EMBARGOED UNTIL: Thursday, December 4, 2003 at 12:01 a.m.
Contact: Tom Murphy 860.713.6525